Category: News

This week on Top Chef, gelato-based sponsored content (#SponCon) gave way to an exploration of the African diaspora. It was sort of a classic “one for us, one for them” situation. This season has thus far been short on reality show drama but long on good-lookin’ food. Don’t get me wrong, I love a nice goat cheese ice cream but at this point, I think I’d trade my left matcha cream puff for at least one cheftestant who isn’t there to make friends.

This week’s episode began with the introduction of Carrie “Fancy Toast” Baird, and a flashback to the time she Mormonly built an oven in the snow to bake a cake (complete with a Chef Fati cameo, RIP). This turned out to be an incredibly roundabout way of introducing a “layered dessert” challenge, sponsored by Talenti Gelato and their new line of layered gelati (that’s the plural of gelato, you strunz’!). Because nothing conveys the value of a layered dessert like a snow-cake flashback (citation needed). Hey, this is basic cable, sometimes you have to awkwardly suck off a sponsor or two. After all, they put up $10 grand.

The chefs then had 45 minutes to make a dessert, with at least three layers. 45 minutes is longer than usual, but not really that long in the context of making a dessert — certainly not for anything you have to bake, set, or freeze. Which meant this one basically came down to which chefs didn’t have a frozen component. Honestly, how much of a time crunch are you guys on? Would it be so bad to give them like two hours? Who shows up at a restaurant and is like “Tick tock, dummy, feed me your best SPEED DESSERT.”

For the elimination challenge, Chef Kwame (along with Gregory) showed up in a giant grey suit looking like the love child of David Byrne and Lenny Kravitz to take the cheftestants on a field trip to taste some pan-African cuisine, from its roots in West Africa to the diaspora in South America and the Caribbean.

Kwame and Gregory took the chefs to various restaurants, including a Jamaican restaurant, which the editors chose to pair with reggae music, no doubt pulling every creativity muscle in the process. Bold choice, guys, better start clearing mantel space for that Emmy.

The chefs were supposed to take inspiration from the food and create their own African-inspired dishes, and you can probably imagine which chefs this challenge was the hardest for (*cough* BRITTANY *cough, cough*).

Sorry about that, keyboard must’ve gone down the wrong pipe.

—

This week’s results:

Quickfire Top: Byron, Avishar*, Sara. (*winner)

Quickfire Bottom: Brittany, Kiki, Maria.

Elimination Top: Dawn*, Jamie, Shota

Elimination Bottom: Brittany**, Kiki, Chris. (**Eliminated)

—

POWER RANKINGS

13. (-9) ((Eliminated)) Brittany Anderson

AKA: St. Pauli. Cartoon. Hot Chocolate. Stifler’s Mom.

Notable Critiques: “The red stew is bland.” “She muted it with the coconut milk.” “The main problem with your dish is that it’s kind of mild.”

Chef Brittany opened this episode in tears after her partner in the previous challenge, Sasha, went home for their team dish (whose bad components were all made by Sasha; suck it up, Brittany). Brittany said she had survivor’s guilt and seemed to spend the entire episode in a Derek Zoolander-esque identity crisis, pondering her reflection in bowls of consommé. She landed in the bottom of the quickfire for the sin of including a store-bought cookie in her dish (which otherwise looked good). She was then clearly out of her depth in the elimination challenge, on account of her low tolerance for spice. Excuse me, waiter? This ganache is too zesty.

Chef Brittany, as we know, cooks “modern Alpine” and thus curries and stews and hot peppers aren’t really her thing. A lot of you readers thought I had Brittany ranked too high last week, and you can take this as sweet vindication, but you should know that my placement was based on the extremely meticulous scientific calculation of “that mushroom toast looked bomb tho.”

Brittany may or may not have been there to make friends, but she was definitely there to discover herself. But this is Top Chef not Eat, Pray, Love so after a judge’s table that resembled a therapy sesh they sent her underseasoned ass home. Hopefully, she came to some valuable insights when Tom Colicchio, inspired by some bland cucumber slaw, demanded that she search her heart and know her true self. Never count out Tough Love Tommy! I was honestly still hoping to see some of that Alpine cuisine but I’ll be pouring out some fondue for my Swiss Miss this week.

12. (+1) Chris Viaud

AKA: Stretch. Butter. Kelso.

Notable Critique: “It’s, uh… really interesting.” -Carrie Baird, on Chris’s mushroom dessert.

I’m honestly not sure how Chef Chris, who has been on the bottom or near the bottom of every challenge and chose “butter” as his special ingredient in episode one, is still on this show. I think he has “Handsome Face,” which always makes him look confident and competent and tricks you into believing that his consistent pattern of mistakes and screwups are all just temporary setbacks.

Chris made a mushroom-flavored dessert. Amazingly, that didn’t land him in the bottom three. Then in the elimination challenge, he served a smorgasbord of Haitian ingredients that according to the judges was less than the sum of its parts. “He tried a little too hard.” “This is a collection of ingredients, not a dish,” said Tom, which is a Tupac’s “Hit ‘Em Up”-level chef diss.

Chef Chris looks like he’s on a fast track to be sent home next, but who knows how much longer he’ll be able to fool the judges with his symmetrical features and velvety baritone.

11. (-5) Kiki Louya

AKA: Aunt Sassy. Peppers.

Notable Critiques: “That fufu was a no-go.”

I love Chef Kiki. Damn near everything she says puts me in a good mood. My instinct tells me she’s a top-five chef this season, but the hard facts show us two straight bottom-three finishes this episode, so she tumbles down the rankings. Chef Kiki attempted a play on peach pie in the quickfire (hers was the dessert I would’ve ordered off the menu), but her crust didn’t set and it landed her in the bottom three.

With her background in West-Central African cuisine, the Pan-African food challenge seemed like a layup. But sometimes a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and Chef Kiki couldn’t wrestle her fufu into edibility in time for the judges, and it hurt her. This even though they all agreed her stew was great. As an Italian who has fucked up polenta plenty of times long after I should’ve had it mastered, I commiserate on trying to wrestle a finicky starch. Still, she probably should’ve tasted it and improvised, turned it into a croquette or a puree or a crumble or something.

Remember, chefs, the phrase “____-inspired” is your friend.

10. Nelson German (-3)

AKA: Papa Bear. Ol’ Faithful.

Notable Critiques: “This was tasty, but it tastes like a lot of the food we’ve had from him before.”

Papa Bear, who has arguably the most irresistible dad energy of any contestant this season, has thus far made his bones by staying on-brand. It could be that staying in his lane is finally starting to catch up to him or it could just be that this challenge wasn’t a great draw for him. As a Dominican chef this challenge was kinda-sorta the kind of food he’s been cooking all along, but because of that, it kind of seemed like he’d mailed it in when he did more or less what he always does.

It’s always more refreshing when you bring flavors to a challenge that feel unexpected.

9. (even) Maria Mazon

AKA: Gas Can. Backdraft.

Notable Critiques: “I just want to keep eating it.”

Like Chef Kiki, Chef Maria was initially undone by a dessert component that failed to congeal (whomst among us…). But then she had a lightbulb moment when she realized that West African “red stew” is actually a lot like mole. That’s kind of the fun of food, isn’t it? Every culture’s cuisine is at once completely distinct and exactly the same.

Anyway, Maria didn’t quite make top three in the elimination challenge but it seemed like she was on the cusp. Honestly, the 6-10 spots here are basically a pick-em.

8. (+4) Byron Gomez

AKA: Manolo. Burger King.

Notable Critiques: …

Costa Rican-bred Burger King veteran Byron finally scored himself a top-three finish this week in the quickfire, thanks to his bomb-ass goat cheese ice cream (probably the first and last time I will ever use that phrase). The entirety of my notes for Byron this week consist of “goat cheese ice cream…”

So far he’s winning the prize for “most obscure competitor.”

7. (+1) Jamie Tran

Aka: Splat. Police Academy.

Notable Critiques: “She took this challenge and owned it.”

The judges loved the way Chef Jamie brought Vietnamese flair to her Pan-African couscous dish this week and it landed her in the top three in the elimination challenge. This gives Jamie a pretty solid track record this far on the show thus far, even if she has the personality of someone I wouldn’t trust to be alone around sharp things.

6. (+4) Avishar Barua

AKA: Milhouse. Chillhouse. Thrillhouse. American Pie. The Carbonator.

Notable Critique: “It was just very smart.”

Nutty Professor Milhouse over here went crazy with the liquid nitrogen in the quickfire challenge in the process of making something he called a “Bahai Bon-Bon.” Which included a component he described as “liquid cocoa graham cracker.”

Haha, cool, man. Avishar wondered if he’d over-frozen the whole thing, and when Padma made this face:

…it felt like it could go either way.

Luckily for Milhouse it turned out she liked it, so much so that he won the quickfire and made $10,000. Disappointingly, Padma didn’t make a single crack about loving the feel of Avishar’s frozen balls in her mouth. She’s really slipping.

5. (-2) Gabriel Pascuzzi

AKA: Patriarchy. Evil Gabe. Chad. Bluto. Mr. Mackie. The Noodge.

Notable Critique: “I’ll say what you guys are all thinking, this dish is too white.”

Evil Gabe wasn’t nearly so villainous this episode but as the only white American male (I think?) in the Pan-African challenge, he took his lumps anyway. He said he was making “red stew, Italian-style” which does sound kind of lame and went on to receive Tom’s most dismissive diss of the episode.

“The designer mashed potatoes? I’m kind of over it.”

4. (-2) Gabe Erales

AKA: Good Gabe. Canelo. Fozzy. The Foz. Masa Father.

Notable Critique: “I loved Gabe’s chicken, that crispiness.”

It was a relatively quiet episode for Gabe, who squirted through the non-superlative middle in both challenges, though his dishes seemed to be well received. He doesn’t seem to make a lot of mistakes.

3. (+8) Dawn Burrell

AKA: Hothead. ‘Sheed. Legs. Breaking Dawn. Milk Carton. Coco Chanel.

Notable Critiques: “She nailed the inspiration.”

Dawn had a rocky start, getting steamed at her teammates (Jamie, for wrong-siding a sauce; Evil Gabe for mansplaining ribs) and forgetting key components, but that’s two elimination challenge wins in a row now, thanks to some bomb ass goat curry. I don’t know if that’s enough to conclude that all her troubles are behind her, but it’s enough to shoot her into the top three.

2. (+3) Sara Hauman

AKA: Tails. Yogurt. Trapper Keeper. Manic Pixie Cream Sauce. Fiddlesticks.

Notable Critiques: “This is a dish I’d order again and again.”

A lot of readers said I had Sara ranked too low last week, and I want you to know that that’s only because I blame Sara for everything I like to rip on about Portland. Obviously, I’m exaggerating, but then again, Sara did make a “matcha-dusted cream puff” in the quickfire challenge, which also feels like a mean description of Sara’s personality. STOP IT, BRAIN, SARA SEEMS NICE!

Then, in the elimination challenge, Sara made “salt cod in the style of pork floss” which is bar none one of the weirdest descriptions of food that I’ve ever heard. That being said, the judges loved it, just as they’ve loved virtually everything that Sara has made so far. It’s just like Portland itself — as much as I want to rip on it for its almost painfully contrived quirks and Fruit Loop-covered donuts, it remains an infuriatingly pleasant city.

1. (even) Shota Nakajima

AKA: Beavis.

Notable Critique: “I was waiting for that spice and I got it.”

Shota, along with Avishar and Kiki, is easily among my top three favorite chefs this season. While he didn’t win either challenge this week, this chilled-out Japanese American chef with a personality like a human shaka sign chalked another top-three finish in the elimination challenge, with his black cod and cabbage. And this in a Pan-African challenge that should’ve been a huge stretch for Shota and his notably un-spicy Japanese food background.

Instead of tearing him down, the judges swooned once again. While he’s not exactly running away with this thing and winning in a rout every challenge like the ’92 Dream Team, it feels like he’s done enough to earn the top spot for the second week in a row.

Vince Mancini is on Twitter. You can access his archive of reviews here.

Rumblings began on April 10 that both LeBron James and Anthony Davis were at least nearing their returns to the floor for the Los Angeles Lakers. While James’ timeline is still unclear, the Lakers relayed some positive news on Thursday evening, with head coach Frank Vogel bringing word that Davis could be on the court in game action as early as next Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks after being cleared to practice in full — the Lakers play the Jazz on Saturday and Monday, but Vogel said it was unlikely he’d be back that soon.

Davis has been sidelined for more than two months with a calf strain and tendinosis in his right leg, last appearing on the floor on Feb. 14 in a road loss to Denver. As a result of the long absence, he won’t hit the ground running with full deployment, with Vogel indicating the Lakers will take their time and keep Davis on a minutes limit in the early going.

The 28-year-old Davis was utterly dominant in the 2020 NBA Playoffs and, in 23 games this season, he is averaging 22.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. In short, the Lakers need him at his optimal output by the time the playoffs roll around but, given the team’s pedigree and solid standing in the Western Conference playoff picture, taking things slow seems wise. Davis could be back in just a week, however, and that is very positive news as Los Angeles attempts to defend their title in a loaded West.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge has already made some notable news about the latest Indiana Jones movie, and now we’re learning about some other interesting names coming into the fold. The latest is Mads Mikkelsen, who reportedly will join Harrison Ford and the aforementioned Fleabag creator and star in the next edition of the adventure epic.

According to Deadline, the Stephen Spielberg classic will get new direction from James Mangold, and a slew of new characters, including an undisclosed role from the Hannibal star.

Following the news that Phoebe Waller-Bridge had landed the female lead in the next Indiana Jones movie, Lucasfilm has found Harrison Ford’s next co-star in Mads Mikkelsen, who is set to join the next installment.

…

The hope is to start production this summer, with Mangold meeting with other talent for other roles in preparation for production. Plot details are still vague on what new adventure awaits Jones, as are details behind who Mikkelsen will play. The film is set to bow on July 29, 2022.

As Deadline pointed out, Mikkelsen is adding his name to a number of franchises these days, though this time he’s not replacing the series’ biggest star. The Danish actor recently replaced Johnny Depp as Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts series, which has had a number of troubles outside of Depp’s legal woes. But Jones is largely unscathed by scandal, unless you consider the Shia LeBeouf film in the series particular egregious.

[via Deadline]

There has been a tidal wave of anti-trans legislation proposed over the past few months in the U.S. At least 17 states are now considering restricting anyone under the age of 18 from transition-related care.

Texas is currently debating two anti-trans bills. Once would criminalize parents for allowing their children to receive gender-affirming treatments. Another would criminalize healthcare professionals who administer them.

For a state that prides itself on promoting personal freedom, these bills go out of their way to punish medical professionals and parents for making deeply personal choices. Shouldn’t doctors and parents have the right to make medical decisions for children without the state’s involvement?

At a hearing for the legislation, one of the bill’s lead sponsors, Republican State Senator Charles Perry, said he felt obliged to protect children “who have not reached the maturity to understand what is being proposed nor the impact on them in perpetuity.”

10-year-old Kai Shappley, a transgender girl, testified at the hearing and delivered a polite, but blistering rebuttal to conservative lawmakers.

Kai is best known for her role on Netflix’s “The Baby-Sitters Club.” She was also the subject of an Emmy-winning short film by the ACLU, “Trans in America: Texas Strong.”

Her performance at the hearing showed that legislation like this was hurtful to children who are already dealing with major challenges. “I do not like spending my free time asking adults to make good choices,” Shappley told lawmakers. “I’ve been having to explain myself since I was 3 or 4 years old. Texas legislators have been attacking me since pre-K. I am in fourth grade now.”

“It makes me sad that some politicians use trans kids like me to get votes from people who hate me just because I exist,” she said.

She also responded to Perry who gave a religious reason for his anti-trans legislation. “God made me. God loves me for who I am, and God does not make mistakes,” Shappley responded.

She also urged lawmakers to educate themselves on the topic and reminded them that “bullying is bad.”

Kai gave some historical context to the hearing by reminding lawmakers they are clearly on the wrong side of history. “I want to say thank you to those of you who are sticking up for kids like me,” she said. “By the time I’m in college, you will be celebrated in the history books.”

After her testimony, she was greeted by a warm round of applause.

It’s a shame to see a 10-year-old girl appear at a hearing to affirm her basic rights to a group of people who clearly have no idea what she and other children like her go through. But her appearance does put a real, human face to this legislation and shows the world who these lawmakers are demonizing.

Kai Shappley shouldn’t have to do what she does, but it’s truly incredible to see someone so young, poised, and credible have the confidence at such a young age to speak truth to power.

Some cats have it all. Seriously.

For some cat owners, their furry friends are equal to (or in some cases, greater than) humans, and they have the digs to prove it.

Take, for instance, the adorable little bedroom Twitter user @CinnamonBear9 shared with the world this week. Kitty has a bed, complete with bedspread that matches mom’s and dad’s. He has pictures on the walls, a rug, a miniature chair, some tiny yarn balls, and a mini scratching post. And the pièce de résistance? A wooden wall frame that holds a tablet so the cat can watch bird videos on YouTube.

CinnamonBear on Twitter

twitter.com

“Here is the bedroom we finished for our cat this weekend,” they wrote. “He actually goes in to nap and watch birds on YouTube. :)”

No, he really does, though.

Like, actually.

CinnamonBear on Twitter

twitter.com

This couple is not the first to share an epic tiny home they made for their cat. Check out the posh pad of this cat from @newbuild_newlyweds on TikTok. And this is after a makeover of the first fancy closet home their kitty was fortunate to have.

Don’t worry, the cat can’t get trapped in that closet. In another video, they showed the most adorable cat door ever made (look at the back!) that allows the cat to go in and out at her leisure.

If you’re thinking that there’s no way a cat needs that kind of castle, you’re probably right. But that doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate it. This puddy tat made herself at home in a kid’s dollhouse, after all.

Maybe it was supposed to be a hint for her owners. “I desire a cat cave, complete with wall decor. Make it so, hooman.”

Then again, most cats are never more blissful than when they are sitting in a simple cardboard box, so…yeah. No pressure to keep up with Joneses’ fancy-schmancy cat cribs.

However, there’s always Peter Cohen, the home builder with 22 rescue cats who transformed his home into a complete playground for cats, who puts everyone else to shame.

(Make sure your cats aren’t around to see this. They’ll side-eye you forever.)

(Also, can the Cohens adopt me, please?)

We Revisit Man’s Cat Playland and our Hearts Explode Again

www.youtube.com

Those of us with cats know that cats are quirky and finicky and there’s no real pleasing them no matter what we do. There is affection when they feel like it and contentedness at random. Their alternating aloofness and demands for attention are what make cats the oddly lovable creatures they are, and their independent spirits are what draw us to them in the first place. (That and their gorgeousness. Cats really are the perfect specimen.)

So whether you treat your feline friend to the life of a princess or a pauper, just know that they may or may not care either way. It probably depends on the day, the alignment of the stars, the direction of the wind, or some other variable that only cats know and refuse to confess.

But if putting together a home makeover for your cat makes you happy, by all means, knock yourself out. If your cat ends up loving it, fabulous—your work will have been worth it. And if your cat ends up ignoring it completely, at least you’ve got some adorable photo ops out of it.

Golden State Warriors rookie James Wiseman suffered a right knee injury on Tuesday during the team’s 125-109 victory over the Houston Rockets. Following the injury, reports surfaced that the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft could miss the remainder of the 2020-21 campaign as a result of a torn meniscus and, on Thursday, the Warriors announced that Wiseman had successful surgery to address the issue.

Wiseman’s rookie season ends after only 39 games, with the seven-footer appearing for 21.4 minutes per game. He averaged 11.0 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest, shooting 51.9 percent from the floor and making 27 starts for the playoff-contending Warriors.

“He puts on a brave face,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters on Wednesday. “Obviously, we saw him [Tuesday] at practice and had a chance to visit with him, and he’s in relatively good spirits, but he’s putting on a brave face for sure. He’s a young guy — this isn’t supposed to happen so early in someone’s career. So it’s a tough time for sure. So fingers are crossed, and we’ll see how everything goes [Thursday].”

Golden State’s official statement indicates that Wiseman will be re-evaluated in September, potentially ruling him out of any Summer League action, should the league hold the annual event in Las Vegas. Still, hopes are high for Wiseman as a core piece of the Warriors in the future and, even after the surgery, he projects to be healthy and available for the start of the 2021-22 campaign.

Click to download here.

RIP, Pie-O-My

Take a break from studying for your dementia test to listen to the latest Pod Yourself A Gun with comedian and podcaster Mike Falzone from the Welcome To Our Podcast and Dynamic Banter podcasts as well as Final Space on Adult Swim. Mike joins Matt and Vince to talk about the Sopranos season four episode nine, “Whoever Did This.”

Definitely the only episode of The Sopranos to feature a goat staring directly into camera, it’s also noteworthy for a couple significant deaths – a horse and a jackass (insert rimshot here).

Besides the deaths, there are a couple other close calls. Ralphie’s son Justin takes an arrow to the throat playing Lord of the Rings and ends up in the hospital. If only his father had been more present and taught him how to play Gladiator instead, the kid would not be a vegetable. Is it okay to call someone a vegetable? As Matt points out in the pod, it feels wrong to say, but no one bats an eye.

Junior takes a tumble down the stairs and hits his head pretty hard. He’s responsive but doesn’t seem the same. He’s still got jokes though. Like Mike & Vince mention, old Italian men go to the grave doing bits and stock one-liners.

If you ever want to fake a mental illness to get out of prison, write something unhinged in a five-star review on Apple Podcasts to use as evidence later.

Subscribe to Pod Yourself A Gun on Apple Podcasts.
Email us at [email protected]; leave us a voicemail at 415-275-0030.
Support the Pod: become a patron at patreon.com/Frotcast and get more bonus content than you could ever want, AND if you sign up for the Pod Yourself a Shoutout tier, you can bask in the glory of hearing your name on the podcast, like this week’s newest subscribers Shawny Balls and Uncle F*ckface.

-Description by @brentflyberg

The 2021 WNBA Draft is here and with it comes plenty of intrigue, particularly as it relates to what the Dallas Wings will do. Entering the week, Dallas had four of the top seven picks in the draft, already dealing the 7th overall pick to the L.A. Sparks on Wednesday, but with the first, second, and fifth picks still all theirs as the draft began, there was plenty of speculation on whether more trades would be on the horizon.

There wasn’t a question as to whether they would keep that first overall pick and with it, they stayed in state by selecting Texas center Charli Collier No. 1 overall to provide them with some needed size in the frontcourt after she averaged a double-double for the Longhorns last year with 19 points and 11.3 rebounds. Their second pick was Awak Kuier, a Finnish forward who played last year in Italy and will provide more frontcourt depth as well.

As the draft rolls on, we’ll be updating the results live here, with the Wings dominating the first round but plenty of other teams looking to add some youth and depth to their rosters for the 25th season of the WNBA.

1. Dallas Wings: Charli Collier (Texas)
2. Dallas Wings: Awak Kuier (Finland)
3. Atlanta Dream: Aari McDonald (Arizona)
4. Indiana Fever: Kysre Gondrezick (West Virginia)
5. Dallas Wings: Chelsea Dungee (Arkansas)
6. New York Liberty: Michaela Onyenwere (UCLA)
7. L.A. Sparks (via Dallas): Jasmine Walker (Alabama)
8. Chicago Sky: Shyla Heal (Australia)
9. Minnesota Lynx: Rennia Davis (Tennessee)
10. L.A. Sparks: Stephanie Watts (UNC)
11. Seattle Storm: Aaliyah Wilson (Texas A&M)
12. Las Vegas Aces:

Houston hottie Megan Thee Stallion and Chicago’s son Lil Durk take over the strip club in their new video for “Movie” from Megan’s 2020 debut album, Good News. The concept is rather straightforward; the two rappers perform and throw bills at the dancers while the latter show off their pole skills and twerk amid the piles of money.

“Movie” follows “Cry Baby” with DaBaby, “Body,” and “Don’t Stop” with Young Thug as the fourth single from Good News to get the video treatment. Despite releasing relatively few singles for her debut, Megan has remained visible since its release thanks to collaborations with Ariana Grande (on the “34+35” remix with Doja Cat), Maroon 5 (on “Beautiful Mistakes“), and Bankroll Freddie (on “Pop It“).

Meanwhile, her 2020 collaboration with Cardi B, “WAP,” continues to draw attention as well, prompting over 1,000 FCC complaints from the two rappers’ racy Grammy Awards performance. Megan picked up an award for Best Rap Performance with Beyonce for their remix of Thee Stallion’s 2020 breakout hit “Savage” (becoming the first women to win the award in the process) as well as a Best New Artist award.

Watch Megan Thee Stallion and Lil Durk’s “Movie” video above.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

A year to the day of Black Wednesday, when in 2020 WWE released 20 on-air and backstage staff, the same fate was handed down to some of the squared circle’s top stars. What was reportedly a decision made due to “budget cuts,” ended a wave of cuts that included Samoa Joe, Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Mickie James, Chelsea Green, Tucker, Kalisto, Bo Dallas and Wesley Blake.

There’s never a good time for cuts, but Wednesday’s announcement comes on the heels of WrestleMania, where from the outside it appeared fans were going to be blessed with the in-ring return of Joe. Joe spent the last year behind the announce desk — including at WrestleMania 37 — but had been pulled off of color commentator duties on Monday. That led to plenty of speculation that he’d made his grand return to competition only for fans to be stunned at his release. Most notably, Joe has spent much of the last year working with the WWE medical staff to get back in the ring. Here’s what he told Uproxx in February:

“I think right now, we’ve learned a lot medically about concussions and recovery and we’re taking the safest and the best approach and I appreciate it,” Joe said. “WWE medical, they’ve been great and understanding and wonderful. So I think at this time we’re just taking the best course of action and obviously some things have been delayed just because of the pandemic and medical availability and liability of being in places and traveling to get evaluations and stuff. So, I mean, there’s been some technical holdups as well as just a very careful approach to my return and recovery and I appreciate it. And I’m all aboard, you know? I would rather take this time and miss a large considerable amount of time than potentially this getting more serious. It took (WWE) a lot to talk me down. But after seeing medically, you know, what I’ve seen, I agree with them. And we’re just taking our time with it and trying to do right.”

As for the other stars, there may not have been anyone hurt more by the inability to house fans over the last year than Billie Kay. After breaking up the IIconics and sending Kay and Peyton Royce on their own paths, Kay was a breakout star, making the most of the little time WWE did give her. That resulted in an unexpected spot on the ‘Mania card alongside Carmella in a makeshift tag team. But if there was any one instance of Kay’s main roster run that represented her brilliance, her final appearances summed it up perfectly: comedic, spotlight stealing and a true star in every sense of the word among the women involved in the Tag Team Gauntlet. If there were fans, it’s hard to imagine the reaction she’d get placing her in any spot other than the main event.

While it’s too early to tell where many of these stars land (they’ll have to wait out WWE’s 100 day no-compete clause), there’s no question these talented individuals will turn up more motivated than ever at their respective next spots.